The March of Rama Shakes the Foundations of the Worlds
Sundara Kanda, Chhand 2
Doha 35 · Movement 2 of 3
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The elephants of the directions trumpet, the ground rolls, mountains sway, and the ocean heaves against its shores. Above the tumult, Gandharvas, gods, sages, nagas, and kinnaras rejoice. Their long sorrow lifts as millions upon millions of fierce monkey warriors race forward, singing Rama's invincible glory.
The weight of the advancing host descends through the earth itself. Shesha, the noble serpent who bears the world, cannot sustain it and swoons again and again. Beneath him the great tortoise catches the serpent in his teeth against the hardness of his shell, holding the trembling foundations fast.
Upon that cosmic surface a final image appears. Knowing the beauty of Raghuvira's sacred departure, the serpent king seems to write its enduring account with the movement of his hood upon the tortoise's back. Before any poet records the march, creation itself becomes the tablet, the stylus, and the first astonished witness.
Rama's procession is so vast that the serpent beneath the world writes its glory upon the cosmic tortoise.
Read the passage from the Manas
चिक्करहिं दिग्गज डोल महि गिरि लोल सागर खरभरे। मन हरष सभ गंधर्ब सुर मुनि नाग किन्नर दुख टरे।। कटकटहिं मर्कट बिकट भट बहु कोटि कोटिन्ह धावहीं। जय राम प्रबल प्रताप कोसलनाथ गुन गन गावहीं।।1।। सहि सक न भार उदार अहिपति बार बारहिं मोहई। गह दसन पुनि पुनि कमठ पृष्ट कठोर सो किमि सोहई।। रघुबीर रुचिर प्रयान प्रस्थिति जानि परम सुहावनी। जनु कमठ खर्पर सर्पराज सो लिखत अबिचल पावनी।।2।।
The guardian elephants of the quarters trumpet in alarm; the earth shakes, mountains sway, and oceans surge with tumult. Gandharvas, gods, sages, nagas, and kinnaras rejoice as their long sorrows flee. Countless fierce monkey warriors gnash their teeth and chatter. Millions upon millions rush forward, singing the jai of Rama's invincible prataap, chanting the glories of Kosala's beloved Lord. The noble Ahipati, Shesha himself, cannot bear this mighty weight and swoons again and again. The great Kamath grips him firmly in his teeth; how wondrous that hard shell appears! Knowing the supremely beautiful departure of Raghuvira, it is as though the Sarparaj upon the Kamath's back writes with his hood the eternal, sacred account of this most pavani, most blessed journey.